Manny Ita
The Confederation of African Football has opened a disciplinary investigation following violent scenes that brought a chaotic end to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final match between Nigeria and Algeria. CAF confirmed on Monday, January 12, 2026, that the matter has been referred to its Disciplinary Board despite Nigeria’s 2–0 victory at the Grand Stade de Marrakech.
Nigeria advanced to the semi-finals after second-half goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams sealed a convincing win. Match statistics reflected Nigeria’s dominance, with Algeria failing to register a shot on target until the 80th minute.
CAF’s investigation centres on what it described as “unacceptable behavior” involving players, officials, and media personnel after the final whistle. According to reports, several Algerian players and members of the technical crew surrounded and confronted the Senegalese referee, Issa Sy, and his assistants immediately after the match.
The situation reportedly escalated as the Algerian contingent followed the officiating team into the players’ tunnel, an incident CAF described as a “clear violation” of its disciplinary regulations. Security officials were also forced to intervene to prevent a pitch invasion by Algerian supporters, some of whom were seen vandalising sections of the stadium.
In addition, CAF confirmed it is reviewing video footage from the mixed zone, where players interact with journalists, following allegations of unprofessional conduct involving members of the media.
In response, the Algerian Football Federation has submitted a formal petition to both CAF and FIFA, challenging what it termed “questionable refereeing decisions” during the match. The federation specifically claimed that Algeria was denied a clear penalty for an alleged handball in the Nigerian penalty area in the first half.
In a statement, the FAF said the decisions “undermined the credibility of African refereeing” and called for a full investigation into the match officials.
CAF also disclosed that the Nigeria–Algeria fixture is not the only quarter-final under review. The football body confirmed that incidents from the Cameroon versus Morocco match are also being investigated following complaints from Cameroon over two unawarded penalties.
Despite the ongoing probe, the Super Eagles have continued their tournament campaign and have arrived in Rabat to begin preparations for their semi-final encounter against host nation Morocco.
